Pattaya News

Pattaya news, politics, business, tourism, and nightlife—stay updated with breaking stories, events, and expat updates from Thailand’s coastal entertainment hub. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted Pattaya news source.

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    Why long-term expats in Thailand say insurance is worth every baht

    Thailand’s warm weather, low cost of living, and good healthcare attract many long-term expats, including retirees and remote workers. Life here feels easy and affordable, but medical costs can be high if something goes wrong. Private hospitals are popular because...

  • Pattaya police warn restaurants not to act like bars | Thaiger

    Pattaya police warn restaurants not to act like bars

    Following the closure of entertainment venues in 41 provinces for 2 weeks, Pattaya police warn that bars acting as restaurants and restaurants acting as bars would be punished. In Pattaya, police patrolled heavily to check in on venues and remind them of the penalties and fines for breaking shut-down rules. The current outbreak of Covid-19 throughout Thailand has been disproportionately…

  • Chon Buri: 141 new Covid-19 infections, 54 linked to nightlife | Thaiger

    Chon Buri: 141 new Covid-19 infections, 54 linked to nightlife

    Chon Buri now has 264 confirmed Covid-19 infections this month after the Chon Buri Public Health Department announced that today brought 141 new infections. Many of the new cases stem from exposure from evening entertainment venues. 54 of the new cases are from an outbreak cluster at the Flintstones Pub in Mueang Chon Buri, bringing the total number of Coronavirus…

  • Tourism officials slash Songkran travel expectations by half | Thaiger

    Tourism officials slash Songkran travel expectations by half

    The TAT, ever the optimists regarding anything tourism related, even domestic tourism, predict that the Bangkok clusters that have emerged in the week before the Songkran break could reduce traffic and spending by up to half. Today the CCSA is reporting 789 new infections and one additional death. 522 were local infections, mostly walk-ins to Bangkok hospitals, 259 were discovered through…

  • 40 Covid-19 infections in Chon Buri area; list of exposure sites | Thaiger

    40 Covid-19 infections in Chon Buri area; list of exposure sites

    An outbreak of Covid-19 mostly related to bars and entertainment venues has brought 40 new cases to the Chon Buri province today. Provincial health department staff say entertainment venues in Pattaya, Si Racha and Bangkok are hubs for spreading the virus. 510 people considered to be at high risk of infection have been tested and are currently awaiting results. Walk-ins…

  • Unemployed elephants walk 500 kilometres from Pattaya to Surin | Thaiger

    Unemployed elephants walk 500 kilometres from Pattaya to Surin

    A group of 5 elephants and their owners began the long walk today from Pattaya to Surin after giving up on the return of tourism anytime soon. The 500 kilometre journey has to be done on foot as they couldn’t afford to hire trucks large enough to carry each elephant. After waiting a year for the Chinese tourists that make…

  • Japanese man allegedly beaten by Pattaya bar security | Thaiger

    Japanese man allegedly beaten by Pattaya bar security

    A Japanese man is recovering after allegedly receiving a beating by security guards at a bar in central Pattaya just after midnight this morning, according to the Pattaya City Police. The 41 year old Japanese man, Takeshi Shigami, arrived at the police station at 1am, saying that two nightclub guards assaulted him “without provocation”. He claims he did nothing to…

  • Thailand’s Songkran headache – Bangkok entertainment venues closed days before holiday | Thaiger

    Thailand’s Songkran headache – Bangkok entertainment venues closed days before holiday

    In the day’s before Thailand’s biggest annual party begins there’s been fresh clusters breaking out in Bangkok and Chon Buri’s nightlife. Already the BMA has closed nightlife venues in three popular districts “as a precautionary measure” for at least two weeks, as of last night. Officials will meet today to mull a blanket closing time for entertainment venues and restaurants…

  • Chon Buri sees 7 more Covid infections today, 5 foreigners | Thaiger

    Chon Buri sees 7 more Covid infections today, 5 foreigners

    Thailand’s Chon Buri province, which features the tourist city of Pattaya, is seeing 7 more Covid-19 infections today. The Chon Buri Public Health Office made the announcement after seeing 8 infections just yesterday. The new infections are worrying officials, who say they are the most the province has seen in 3 months. Japanese nationals claimed 5 of the infections today,…

  • Banquet for ghosts held in Chon Buri cemetery – some food left over | Thaiger

    Banquet for ghosts held in Chon Buri cemetery – some food left over

    To fulfill a woman’s dying wish, townspeople in the Panthong district of Chon Buri hosted an elaborate banquet for ghosts in a local cemetery this week. The 36-table extravaganza was set up 43 year old Tanawan Choti. His mother had asked him to give a free banquet for all the ghosts of her friends and family that had died before…

  • Man finds live hand grenade in Pattaya area forest – VIDEO | Thaiger

    Man finds live hand grenade in Pattaya area forest – VIDEO

    A man found a live hand grenade under a tree in Pattaya area forest yesterday while he was searching in the woods for termites to later feed to his pet fish. Officers from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team say the M26 hand grenade is very dangerous and can still explode. 51 year old Su Supayut told Pattaya News reporters that…

  • ASQ hotel scam: Thai woman allegedly sold bogus quarantine package for 35,000 baht | Thaiger

    ASQ hotel scam: Thai woman allegedly sold bogus quarantine package for 35,000 baht

    A Thai woman in Chon Buri was arrested for allegedly posting a fake advertisement for a Alternative State Quarantine Hotel and selling the bogus package deal for 35,000 baht to a foreigner who was planning to travel to Thailand. An African woman, who had been preparing for a trip to Thailand with her son, reported the alleged scam to the…

  • Suspected drug dealer nabbed with 2,000 methamphetamine pills after motorbike crash | Thaiger

    Suspected drug dealer nabbed with 2,000 methamphetamine pills after motorbike crash

    A suspected drug dealer was arrested after he crashed his motorbike while attempting to flee from police in Chon Buri. Police later seized 500 grams of crystal meth along with 2,000 methamphetamine pills from the man’s home. The suspected drug dealer, Sonthaya “Boy” Suwan, was injured in the accident, but reports do not go into detail about his condition. After…

  • Pattaya rounding up the homeless ahead of this weekend’s Pattaya Colorful event | Thaiger

    Pattaya rounding up the homeless ahead of this weekend’s Pattaya Colorful event

    Pattaya is rounding up homeless people ahead of its Pattaya Colorful event this weekend after locals complained. Officers from the Chonburi Social Development and Human Security Division, along with the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division inspected and interviewed homeless people and beggars on Pattaya Walking Street, Pattaya Second Road, Pattaya Beach and Soi Buakhow last night. Officials say most of the…

  • Illegal gambling den owner in Pattaya arrested again in murder for hire scheme | Thaiger

    Illegal gambling den owner in Pattaya arrested again in murder for hire scheme

    An illegal casino operator in Pattaya is under arrest again after police are accusing him of murdering the man who snitched on him back in February. 56 year old Somchai Jutikitdecha, or Longjoo Somchai, was detained at his residence on Rat Bamrung Road in Tambon Noen Phra of Pattaya’s Muang district early this morning and is being charged with ordering…

  • Pattaya to hold logistics forum to renew efforts of making it a technology hub | Thaiger

    Pattaya to hold logistics forum to renew efforts of making it a technology hub

    Pattaya is holding a logistics forum next week with renewed hopes of making the city a major technology and convention hub. The forum will be held on March 25 at the Amari hotel, which will also feature an online format for those who cannot attend. Strict Covid-19 measures will be in place such as temperature checks, mandatory mask wearing, social…

  • Pattaya bar owners waiting for CCSA to allow later closing hours | Thaiger

    Pattaya bar owners waiting for CCSA to allow later closing hours

    Pattaya bar owners are waiting for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration to allow businesses to close at later times, as a decision is expected today to reveal new provincial risk assessments. If Chon Buri province, which features Pattaya, is determined to be a “green” zone by the CCSA, the businesses would be allowed to stay open past midnight, with…

  • Thai man in Pattaya arrested for allegedly selling e-cig vaping products | Thaiger

    Thai man in Pattaya arrested for allegedly selling e-cig vaping products

    A Thai man is under arrest in Pattaya for allegedly selling e-cigarettes and vaping products, after concerned citizens tipped off Banglamung police. The products were allegedly being sold in the Naklua market, according to the Banglamung Administrative Chief Officer, Phonchai Sangeiad who reportedly talked to Pattaya News. “We are cracking down on electronic cigarettes in the area overall as part…

  • Young student pushed off school building by peer suffers skull fracture | Thaiger

    Young student pushed off school building by peer suffers skull fracture

    A young schoolboy is recovering after allegedly being pushed off a school building by one of his peers. The 8 year old boy’s skull was fractured from the second storey fall and was sent to a hospital where he underwent emergency surgery, staying in the hospital for at least 9 days. The principal of the school, which is located in…

  • 1 dead, 1 injured, 2 businesses damaged in 6-vehicle collision in eastern Thailand | Thaiger

    1 dead, 1 injured, 2 businesses damaged in 6-vehicle collision in eastern Thailand

    A collision involving 6 vehicles in the eastern province of Chon Buri has left 1 man dead, 1 woman injured, and damaged 2 businesses in the vicinity. The Pattaya News reports that the incident occurred in Si Racha, with traffic disrupted for several hours after the event. It’s understood the driver of a large trailer truck lost control of the…

  • Extra doses of Covid vaccine lined up for tourist provinces | Thaiger

    Extra doses of Covid vaccine lined up for tourist provinces

    Thailand’s Culture Ministry and the Tourism and Sports Ministry says provinces considered major tourist destinations could be given extra doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. Culture Minister Itthiphol Kunplome says the government is being asked to agree to the proposal in order to boost residents’ confidence and help local economies. The chosen provinces included Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chon Buri (Pattaya), and…

  • Pattaya announces plans to hold Songkran Festival | Thaiger

    Pattaya announces plans to hold Songkran Festival

    The tourist city of Pattaya is planning to hold Thai New Year, or Songkran Festival, this year as long as they receive the “go ahead” from the government. The Pattaya City Mayor, Sonthaya Khunplume, made the announcement today, saying that the water festival will be held with all the traditional activities including those taking place at temples. Songkran is the…

  • Thailand to introduce “area quarantine” for international visitors from April | Thaiger

    Thailand to introduce “area quarantine” for international visitors from April

    From next month, foreign visitors to the Kingdom will be able to experience the delights of “area quarantine”, after the government confirmed the scheme for 5 provinces. Following a meeting with the Public Health Ministry, the Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn confirmed that Phuket, Krabi, Chiang Mai, Chon Buri (Pattaya), and Surat Thani (Koh Samui and Koh Pha-ngan) have been chosen…

  • Pattaya police raid nightclub suspected of presenting pornographic shows | Thaiger

    Pattaya police raid nightclub suspected of presenting pornographic shows

    Pattaya City Police inspected a nightclub after reports that the venue was hosting pornographic shows on the weekends. Although the nightclub, Dragon Man Club, wasn’t presenting a sexually explicit show when officers came by, the owner was arrested for operating an entertainment business and selling alcohol without the proper permit. Police say a tip was made through social media from…

  • Massive 6-metre-long python caught in Chon Buri | Thaiger

    Massive 6-metre-long python caught in Chon Buri

    While tending to his land and preparing to cut down some banana trees, a Chon Buri man came across a massive 6-metre-long, 100-kilogram python. 8 people worked together to pull the giant snake out from the vegetation. The python tried numerous times to escape. It took around 30 minutes to catch the snake. The landowner told Thai media reporters that…

  • Chon Buri zoo invites people to vote on baby hippo’s name – VIDEO | Thaiger

    Chon Buri zoo invites people to vote on baby hippo’s name – VIDEO

    A zoo in the eastern province of Chon Buri is inviting people to vote on the name of a baby pygmy hippopotamus born last month. Anuphong Anont from Khao Kheow Open Zoo says the baby made its first public appearance yesterday. “The female baby hippo was born on January 14 to 6-year-old mother Kanya and 21-year-old father Tony. The baby…

  • Motorbike taxi attacked tourist in Pattaya because he was annoyed | Thaiger

    Motorbike taxi attacked tourist in Pattaya because he was annoyed

    A Pattaya motorbike taxi driver is saying he was annoyed when he attacked a Chilean man out of nowhere early yesterday morning. Amorn “Jeab” Boonmee was arrested after confessing to allegedly slapping and kicking 24 year old Salvatore Andres Castromedina, breaking his nose. According Khaosod English, Amorn says he acted in a “blind moment of fury” because he was annoyed…

  • Day trip to Bangkok’s closest island – Koh Si Chang | VIDEO | Thaiger

    Day trip to Bangkok’s closest island – Koh Si Chang | VIDEO

    Ko Si Chang (or Koh Sichang) is a district of Chon Buri Province, Thailand. It consists of the island of Ko Si Chang and its adjoining islands. Ko Si Chang is in the Gulf of Thailand, 12 kilometres off the shore of the Si Racha District coastline. It’s the closest island to Bangkok and a popular weekend away for Bangkokians.…

  • Another Thai man claims to have found a rare Melo pearl, shell was sold at a Pattaya market | Thaiger

    Another Thai man claims to have found a rare Melo pearl, shell was sold at a Pattaya market

    Another Thai man is claiming to have found a rare Melo pearl. The Pattaya chef says he bought a shell from a local market a decade ago and had no idea the object inside was a rare pearl. After hearing the news about the man in Nakhon Si Thammarat finding what he believes is a Melo pearl possibly worth millions…

  • Pattaya driver injured after falling asleep at the wheel, plunging into ditch | Thaiger

    Pattaya driver injured after falling asleep at the wheel, plunging into ditch

    A driver asleep at the wheel of his car has broken both legs after the vehicle ended up in a ditch in the Banglamung area of Pattaya. The Pattaya News reports that 33 year old Nattaphon Sukmanat had to be cut out of the vehicle before being rushed to hospital for surgery. The local police force was notified of the…

  • 4 top tourist destinations to be prioritised for Covid-19 vaccine distribution | Thaiger

    4 top tourist destinations to be prioritised for Covid-19 vaccine distribution

    The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration says 4 of Thailand’s major tourism destinations are to be prioritised in the distribution of vaccines. They are Phuket, Chon Buri, Chiang Mai and Surat Thani. In addition, a further 9 provinces with significant infection numbers are being prioritised in the rollout of the first vaccine doses arriving in the Kingdom today. Taweesin Visanuyothin…